Post by Elizabeth Roberts
outpouring of generosity from Bermuda residents enabled charity worker Phillip Rego to send a plane full of food and supplies to Haiti this weekend.
Among the items on board were a jeep donated by D&J Construction and a dump truck from Michael and Lisa Richold, of Richold Construction. The vehicles will help Mr Rego transport goods and passengers to and from his medical clinic and orphanage in Haiti, which was devastated by an earthquake last month.
In addition, local residents and businesses donated around 20,000 lbs of food and supplies including clothes, medicines, wheelchairs, generators, water pumps and even an operating table.
The $34,000 cost of sending the cargo plane, hired from a Ukrainian charter company, was split jointly between Mr. Rego’s charity, Feed My Lambs, and a private charity, the Genesis Foundation, which is funded by Osmium Capital.
It headed to Haiti on Saturday morning, having been loaded on Friday by willing hands from across the Island. “So many people from the community turned up to help,” said Mr. Rego’s wife, Maria.
“We had probation officers, Government workers, Customs people, cooks, grocery store owners, nurses, all helping load it all. It’s just been amazing. We had total strangers ask ‘what do you need?’ We have a generator that could light up a little village. I can’t even speak, I’m just amazed at the outpouring of generosity.”
Giving an update yesterday, Mrs. Rego said: “All the goods went through customs without any problems. However they held both vehicles with their keys until tomorrow. It is my understanding however, that a US or UN official is going to be requesting the vehicles be released without taxes or duties due to the humanitarian effort that Feed My Lambs Ministry has been doing in Haiti since Oct. 2008.”
Mr. Rego spent time in Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake along with a team of local medics including emergency medical technician Marcus Gremli. He’s now headed back there, along with Mr. Gremli. They plan to distribute food and water and help put up tents for those without roofs over their heads.
The Regos said they wished to express their gratitude and appreciation to all who have donated, especially Mr. and Mrs. Richold and D&J Construction for the vehicles.
“Those vehicles will be a tremendous asset to the work we are doing in Haiti,” they said.
Among the other donors who contributed are Butterfield and Vallis, MarketPlace, Harrington Hundreds and Dr. Christopher Johnson.
